Monday Motivation: Getting Organized

Monday Motivation: Getting Organized

Oh, hello Monday, it’s you again.

Since Mondays don’t exactly have the best reputation – we at SMASH took a poll and asked ourselves (and each other) what could make Mondays just a bit less stressful? A lot of us decided we wanted to know how to get organized before the week started, so that Mondays were smooth sailing and everything that needed to get done, got done (or at least pretty darn close!)

Here are our favorite five organizational tips we decided on, that are sure to get this week (and every week) off to an organized start!

Love Thy Label

Don’t underestimate the power of the almighty label! Marking bins, containers and storage baskets helps you to remember there is a place for everything and will make you think twice before you cram random junk, papers and whatever else into baskets or under the bed. Another plus? You won’t have to spend countless hours looking for long-lost items! Better Homes and Gardens has adorable, printable labels for anyone that registers for their newsletter!

Work Space Is A Clean Place

Never ever leave your desk (or whatever space you return to daily) a mess when the day is over. This is a surefire way to start the next day behind, disorganized and overwhelmed. Take a few minutes to shuffle papers into a folder, or better yet set a special folder aside for end of the day clutter. Setting yourself up for success the next day, depends heavily on how you end the last. Leave it to Life Hack to have an A++ plan on de-cluttering your workspace.

Day Plan

Use your task manager, but don’t overcrowd it. Write down three things a day that absolutely must get done. Use a highlighter to cross off every finished task so your completed days appear bright, cheerful and accomplished. When we overload our “books” we start off impossibly swamped with no way to accomplish everything we set out to do. Pick only what’s necessary and watch as your to-do list shrinks! This article compliments of the Huffington Post suggests breaking down your day planner by the day, week and month to allow room for larger goals to get accomplished – without stressing you out.

De-Clutter Buddy

You know how we always give our friends better advice than we give ourselves? Same goes for decluttering our lives. When you find a friend who is willing to swap organizing services with you, you’ll find that you’ll get better advice about what it is you really need, and what you could donate, toss or recycle. Don’t forget to return the favor!

Learn When To Say No

…and stick to it! Take an honest look at your day planner or iCal- how many of those tasks are truly yours? How many of them are commitments you made to someone else? While we all love to help others, it’s important to gauge what you can actually do for another person – and what is just too much. In a way this applies in the workspace as well. Being honest with your clients, teammates and superiors about how long tasks take is not always easy in the world we live in (everyone wants it NOW!) but it will help establish you as a conscientious worker who wants to deliver quality services, on time in the right timeframe. If a client is pushing for an unreasonable deadline, it’s more than OK to stand your ground and say nicely (but firmly) NO. The more you respect yourself and the time you need to work – the more others will respect it too.

Have any fantastic organizational tips that make Mondays (and every day magical?) Let us know in the comments below! We’re always up for suggestions!